Albert b



' (No Model.)

A. B. HER RICK; SNAP SWITCH.

No. 570,172. Patented 0ct. 27, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFicE.

ALBERT B. HERRIOK, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL INOANDESCENT ARC LIGHT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SNAP-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,172, dated October 27, 1896. Application filed July 12 1S95. Serial No. 5 55,703. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. HERRICK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

It is desirable in electrical systems employing currents of high potential to break the circuit with great rapidity to reduce, as far as possible, the formation of arcs between the separating surfaces or contacts of the circuit-breaking switch. It has been found that notwithstanding contact is broken quickly there is sufficient arcing to roughen the switch-surfaces where the break occurs. I provide an improved switch of such construction that said roughening of the contacts shall not affect the current-carrying capacity of the switch. To this end I provide main current-carrying blades with cooperating contacts, and snap-blades also with cooperating contacts, and said parts are so constructed and arranged. that separating the main blades from their contacts will not break the circuit, and therefore there will be no arcing between such blades and contacts; but the circuit is broken when the snap-blade is suddenly pulled from its contacts at a point entirely separate from that at which the main contacts normally rest against the main blades, and from the point where their separation occurs, under the stress of springs brought into operation by movement of the switch-handle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a double-throw switch. Fig. 2 is a side view of this switch, showing it in one position in dotted lines and in another position in full lines. Fig. 3 is a side view of the snapblade. Figs. at and 5 are side and edge views, on a larger scale, of a disk on which the snapblade turns; and Fig. 6 is a side View of one of the pivot-standards.

- The drawings show a double-throw switch, that is, a switch which when in closed position on one side closes one circuit and when in closed position on the other side closes another circuit, which circuits may or may not have one wire in common.

B C are switch-terminals to which the wires of a circuit to be made and broken may be connected. Terminal B has conducting-standards D, forming supports for the pivot-boltE, on which the main switch-blades F F and snap switch-blade G are pivoted, being held a suitable distance apart by intermediate standards H. Terminal 0 has conductingcontacts I J, between which the switch-blades can be forced and from which they can be withdrawn. The main blades are of sufficient capacity to carry the entire or nearly the entire current of the circuitin which the switch is to be used. Said blades are seen red to a handle K,by which they can be moved. The snapblade, which is in a plane beside that of the main blades, but not edge to edge with the main blades, is not positively connected to the handle, but is connected indirectly through blade F andsprings L.

H are standards rising from terminal B between the blades. In order to make the switch a double-throw switch, an additional terminal 0 is placed on the opposite side of the pivot from O. The springs L are connected to the main and snap blades, so that the same springs shall cause the snap action whether the switch is thrown to break the circuit between parts B O or between B O. The preferred construction consists of two angle-levers 1, pivoted at 2 to the main blades F, having cross-pins 3 connecting them and adapted to bear against and slide along the edges of the snap-blade. At the outerends of the short arms of the levers are means, as posts 4, to which springs L are secured, said springs; thus normally holding the levers against opposite edges of the blades, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

On opposite edges of the snap-blade are hook-shaped projections 5, with which pins 3 are adapted to engage, as shown at the right in Fig. 2. On the inner faces of blades F, at

the upper edge, Figs. 1 and 2, are lugs 6,

adapted to engage lugs 7 on the snap-blade to positively connect the main and snap blades during a part of their movement to force the sn ap-blade between its clips when blades F are forced between their clips. Said lugs engage when the switch is being closed.

Other lugs 6 at the opposite edges of blade F, and a different distance from the pivot,

and adapted to engage with the opposite sides of lugs 7 are provided for the purpose hereinafter described.

At the pivot end of the snap-blade a large hole 8 is made, into which fits a disk 9, in which is a hole 10, placed eceentrically in the disk, of suitable size to receive the pivot E. This eccentric disk forms the pivot of the snap-blade. II are standards, each having an opening 11, through which pivot E passes, and slots 12, which register with holes 14 to receive pins 13, which extend through holes 14: in disk 9 to prevent the latter from turning with the switch-blades. The relation of the eccentric pivots is shown by the dotted circle 9 in Fig. 2.

Referring first to the switch as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the operation is as follows: Handle K has been raised to separate blades F from the clips. This movement has put springs L under increased tension and pin 3 has moved along on the lower edge of the snap-blade until it has engaged lug 5, positively connecting blades F and G and starting the latter out. As the handle continues to move, the snap-blade will be suddenly thrown from its clips by the springs. Lugs 7, which, when blades F were down, stood directly under lugs 6, gradually assume a position nearer and nearer the pivots of blades F, owing to the eccentric pivots, and when the handle is thrown over to the right lugs 7 will occupy a position directly in front of the opposite lugs 6, so that the snap-blade can be pushed into its clips on this side. \Vhen the switch is thrown over to the left, lugs 6 will cooperate with lugs 7 in the same manner as described for lugs 6 and 7.

Lugs 5 on blade Gr are not directly opposite each other, but are so arranged that when brought into use they will occupy the same distance from the pivot.

It will be seen that the same main and snap blades cooperate with the contacts on different sides of the pivot, and that the contactsurfaces with which the main and snap blades make contact are entirely distinct.

I claim 1. The combination, in a switch, of a pivoted main blade, a single snap-blade, contacts on different sides of the pivot in position to cooperate with the same main blade and with the same snap-blade, the snap-blade contacts being entirely distinct from the main-blade contacts, so that the main blade will not be roughened by sliding over the snap-blade c011- taets, and a spring connection between the main and the snap blades for throwing the latter from its contacts on either of the different sides.

2. The combination, in a double throw switch, of pivoted main and snap blades side by side in different planes, contacts for the main blades and also contacts for the snapblades on different sides of the pivot and cooperating with the blades, the same main and snap blades cooperating with the contacts on different sides.

3. The combination, in a double throw snap-switch, of a main switch-blade, projections 6, 6, thereon, a snap-blade beside the main blade in a different plane, a projection 7 thereon, and means for bringing projections 6 and 7 into cooperation when the switch is thrown to one side, and for bringing 6 and 7 into cooperation when the switch is thrown to the other side.

4E. The combination of a main switch-blade, projections 6, 6, thereon on opposite edges and at different distances from the pivot, a snap-blade, a projection 7 thereon at or near its central part, said main and snap blades being eceentrically pivoted so that projection 7 will cooperate with projection (3 or 6, according as it is thrown to one side or the other, and contacts cooperatin g with the switchblades.

5. The combination of a main blade, levers 1, 1, pivoted thereto, a snap-blade having a lug or engaging device, as 5, on its rear edge, a spring connecting the free ends of said levers, and means carried by one of said levers to engage said lug when the main blade is thrown.

6. The combination of a main blade, a pivot therefor, a snap-blade having an opening in it larger than the main-blade pivot, a disk in said opening and serving as a pivot for the snap-blade, there being an opening through the disk at one side of its center for the passage of the main pivot, and engaging devices for the blades brought into cooperation by movement of the main and snap blades on different centers.

7. The combination of main and snap blades eceentrically pivoted, the pivot of the snapblade consisting of a disk with means for holding it from rotation, and having an eccentric opening to receive the main pivot.

8. The combination of main blades, a snapblade, levers 1, 1, pivoted to the main blades on opposite sides of the switch, pins 3 adapted to bear on the blades, and springs L connected to the free ends of the levers. Signed this 11th day of July, 1895.

ALBERT B. HERRICK. \Vitnesscs:

O. L. BELCHER, CHARLES M. CATLIN. 

